Gene Maddaus Senior Media Writer In a Florida courtroom last month, a plaintiff’s attorney asked jurors to “send a message” by holding CNN accountable for defaming security contractor Zachary Young.
The jury responded, awarding $5 million to compensate Young — who was described as being part of a “black market” for refugees fleeing Afghanistan — for damage to his reputation.
The jurors would have gone even further, but a settlement was reached before they could grant award punitive damages. In an email over the weekend, Katy Svitenko, the foreperson, told Variety that she would have awarded up to $100 million, and confirmed the jury was indeed trying to send a message. “The message the jury wanted to send was to not only CNN but to all media that the general public is fed up with fake news and partial truths,” she said in response to written questions. “Reporting must be unbiased, true, and complete.” The eight-day trial in Panama City, Fla., put CNN’s reporting processes under a microscope.
The result was not flattering. CNN’s lawyers argued that its coverage was “tough” but also fair. But in messages displayed to the jury, reporter Alex Marquardt spoke of seeking to “nail this Zach Young mfucker,” while colleague Katie Bo Lillis called him a “shitbag,” and producer Michael Conte wrote that he had a “punchable face.” Jane Kirtley, a professor of media ethics and law at the University of Minnesota, said the case serves as a cautionary tale, reminding journalists that the “gallows humor” of the newsroom may not play well in court.
Read more on variety.com
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